Ninety Seconds

Death sat across from me today.
It glared at me through the eyes
Of a young woman
With pancreatic cancer.
She ticked off an exhaustive list
Of body parts
The cancer has eaten...
Pancreas
Stomach lining
Seven feet of bowels
Rectum.

I struggled to think
Of something to say
Something encouraging
Something positive.

Then I realized
I had nothing to say.

Saying nothing
Is the most honest
Compassionate thing
I could give her.

I walked around my desk
And took this stranger
This tragic
Fragile woman
Into my arms.

I felt her body release
And my body
Absorb hers.

I’m sorry
I said.

Sorry
Not for holding her
But sorry we live in such a brutal
Wicked world
Where cancer will destroy
A beautiful young woman
Like Rebecca.

She wept into my shoulder
And I did not pull away.

Thank you
She said.

She thanked me
For a simple embrace.

Finally
She pulled away
To take her leave.

Thank you for not trying
To make it better
With all those damn platitudes
All those meaningless words
People shove into me
She said.

Thank you
She said.

And she left.

Death sat across from me today.
But for ninety seconds
It did not win.